Florida International vs. UTSA Picks and Predictions: First Responder Bowl
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Fri Dec 26, 2025, 11:09 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The Florida International Panthers and the UTSA Roadrunners meet in Dallas for the First Responder Bowl to cap off our Friday night. The Panthers finished by winning four straight games to go 7-5, their best season since 2018. As for the Roadrunners, they limped their way to 6-6 but are looking for a third straight bowl win. Will they be able to do it? Let's find out with our picks and predictions for the First Responder Bowl.
Best Bet: Florida International/UTSA Over 59.5 (-105) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
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Florida International Panthers vs. UTSA Roadrunners First Responder Bowl Insights
Keyone Jenkins should be back on the field for the Panthers in this bowl game
We've got a CVS Receipt of opts outs so lets get to it.
On the FIU side, both starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins and backup Joe Pesanksy should be good to go after nursing some injuries. Expect one or both to start and play. Good news for their offense. However, they will be super thin at secondary, as they are missing starting corners Mister Clark (yes, that's his name), and Victor Evans, along with free safety Jessiah McGrew. UTSA should be able to do whatever they please through the air.
But speaking of their defense, they will be very shorthanded. The Roadrunners will be missing both of their starting cornerbacks, their starting nose tackle and their starting defensive end, as well as a back up DE. Head coach Jeff Traylor literally said he expects his team to be "a shell of themselves" for this contest. The Roadrunners will be missing anywhere from 10-20 players, including at least six defensive starters. As for the offensive side of things, they should be mostly fine.
Matchup Information – Florida International vs. UTSA – December 26
- Venue & Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadum (Dallas, TX)
- Date: Friday, December 26, 2025
- Kick Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Florida International vs. UTSA Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel Sportsbook, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 23, 2025 at 5:57 p.m. eastern. Sign up today and get a $1,250 deposit bonus & 50 slot spins right away. Lucky Rebel offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Florida International +5.5 (-110)
- UTSA -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Florida International +180
- UTSA -227
Total
- Over 59.5 (-105)
- Under 59.5 (-115)
Florida International vs. UTSA First Responder Bowl Picks and Predictions
Owen McCown and the Roadrunners are looking for a third straight bowl win
Florida International vs. UTSA Prediction: UTSA Wins and Covers, Over 59.5
Best Bet: Florida International/UTSA Over 59.5 (-105) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
UTSA is a team that is 9-3 to the over this season, hitting six of their last seven, mainly because of their lack of defense. News flash.. as I stated above, that already horrible defense is missing tons of starters! They are north of 105 (bottom 30) in points and yards allowed per play, coming in at seventh worst in red zone scoring percentage. The secondary is awful, the defensive line isn't any better, but at least the Panthers defense is just as bad.
FIU is only 6-5-1 to the over this year but they've gone over in three of their last four, plus this is their highest total of the season. Perhaps that's a sign? Defensively, the Panthers are No. 90 in points allowed per game and No. 98 in yards allowed. They are north of 100 in yards allowed per carry, and that's something the Roadrunners do very efficiently. UTSA should be able to hammer the ground for at least their average of five yards per carry (No. 22 in the nation). Quarterback Owen McCown is very accurate and efficient with his arm, and he should tear up a beat up secondary.
The Panthers' offense is more run heavy and they do so well, sneaking into the top 25 in yards per carry. The Roadrunners fail to stop the run (No. 94 in YPC Allowed), so both offenses should have fun going back and forth putting up plenty of points on the board.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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